flashback

American  

[flash-bak] / ˈflæʃˌbæk /

noun

• flashbacks
  plural

1. 

   a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.

2. an event or scene so inserted.

3. Also called flashback hallucinosis. Psychiatry.

   1. the spontaneous recurrence of visual hallucinations or other effects of a drug, as LSD, long after the use of the drug has been discontinued.

   2. recurrent and abnormally vivid recollection of a traumatic experience, as a battle, sometimes accompanied by hallucinations.

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flashback British  

/ ˈflæʃˌbæk /

noun

1. a transition in a novel, film, etc, to an earlier scene or event

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verb

1. (intr, adverb) to return in a novel, film, etc, to a past event

Usage

What does flashback mean? A flashback is a technique in movies, novels, and other narratives in which the present story transitions into a scene from the past. When used as a verb, the term is usually spelled as two words, as in My favorite part of the book is when it flashes back to their childhood. The opposite of a flashback is a flash-forward—when the narrative transitions into a scene from the future. Flashback is also used in psychology to refer to recollections or hallucinations of past events. Example: The flashback scene showed how they got their superpowers.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• flashbacks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of flashback

1910–15; 1965–70 flashback for def. 3; noun use of verb phrase flash back

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Explanation

A flashback is a transition in a story to an earlier time, that interrupts the normal chronological order of events. A flashback in a movie might show what happened when a character was younger. Flashbacks are often used for comedic effect, to prove or contradict something in the present. For example, if a character in a sitcom claims he does the dishes every single night, flashbacks could show him ignoring a giant pile of dirty dishes on various occasions. Flashback can also mean a sudden, vivid remembrance of past events, like having a flashback to your kindergarten days if you go visit that classroom today.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

flashback flashbacks

Rosy and Doryan’s first meeting, with her comforting him as he is in the throes of a war flashback, has a desperate intensity; later, their forest love scene has a peaceable beauty.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

The inflatables are a flashback to the late '80s when what began as a light-hearted joke soon turned into one of the most memorable fan crazes in English football.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026

"That's our biggest threat," explained Jama, in a flashback from the previous night's scenes in the traitors turret.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

A flashback to Supergirl’s first touchdown on Earth has the awkwardness of a study-abroad student realizing she doesn’t like her host country at all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Ivan’s voice snapped her out of her flashback, and she startled as he set his hand on her shoulder.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

But some experts are getting flashbacks to an earlier generation — and the sorts of all-stock deals that became emblematic of the dot-com boom and bust.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026

The flashbacks come daily, to the point that he has needed to see a therapist.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

Manning still has flashbacks — now, compounded by fear that the next evacuation could be complicated by heavy truck traffic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

The stories of Anne, Naomi and Chelsey, told in flashbacks and present-day chapters, become entwined in surprising ways.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

I remember moving out there in flashbacks, snippets, driving to a place I’d never seen, seeing people I’d never seen.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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Related Words

• hallucination
• memory
• recollection

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